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Michigan loses gay benefits
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A Michigan state appeals court last week upheld a state amendment banning gay-marriage benefits, effectively prohibiting state universities from offering same-sex partner health-care benefits. The ruling means the University of Michigan and Michigan State University will now join the University of Wisconsin as the only school in the Big Ten to deny these rights to same-sex couples. According to Judge Joyce Draganchuk's 2005 ruling, the ban on gay marriage did not apply to the state employees' health-care benefits because health-care benefits do not legally define marriage. However, after Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox appealed the decision — arguing that providing domestic-partner benefits to gay employees recognizes same-sex relationships — the appeals court overturned Draganchuk's ruling. "The law cannot create [a] substitute for traditional marriage," said Rusty Hill, a spokesperson for the attorney general. "The state of Michigan overwhelmingly approved [the ban]." The Michigan court received a brief from UM and Wayne State University that argued providing same-sex partner benefits is independent of the state's gay-marriage ban. However, the gay-marriage ban is "the law of the land in the state of Michigan," Hill said. In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign — a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil-rights organization — condemned the ruling by the court of appeals for denying public universities the ability to offer their employees domestic partnerships. "When top employers like the University of Michigan cannot attract the best possible workforce because they are hampered by discriminatory laws, our entire country loses out," Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said in a release. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 11 public colleges and universities in the state of Michigan that offer domestic-partner benefits would be affected by this decision, including Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan, Oakland and Lansing Community College. MSU President Lou Anna Simon said in a statement the university is disappointed by the court's decision and regrets the anxiety it may be causing members of the community. "A great public university, especially at this time in Michigan, must be inclusive, competitive and welcoming," Simon said. "MSU values all of its faculty and staff, and we will do all that we can to maintain access to health care for our eligible employees and their families." The Michigan branch of the American Civil Liberties Union plans to appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court with the support of various state universities. In December, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously voted to request domestic-partner benefits for all of its employees. Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment last November outlawing same-sex marriages and civil unions.
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Well, this is frustrating. America used to be a great country.
What exactly are the benefits of being gay? Or, are the benefits themselves gay? The headline is misleading.
Bigots.
“University of Michigan and Michigan State University will now join the University of Wisconsin as the only school in the Big Ten to deny these rights to same-sex couples.”
1+2=1?
“America used to be a great country”
So move to some Islamic country and see how much diffently that treat their gays.
Well, the “Christian” taliban must be celebrating tonight.
It seems that if one truly believes in the strength of family, they would support the strength of all families. Supporting the dissolution of rights that make LGBT families stronger makes no sense at all. It’s not like they are magically going to become straight because we don’t allow their families to protect each other!